Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
We’re finally getting to the point of the year where there are a decent amount of debuts. The charts this week found many releases from Sunday’s Grammy awards getting a sizable bump, which is pretty impressive considering the chart week ends on Monday. In fact, a compilation album from some of the nominees almost debuted in the top slot. But while many of the pop-leaning records and acts that appeared on the Grammys got a bump, the “Metal Performance” winner, Black Sabbath, didn’t see enough of an increase to re-enter the charts, perhaps because the presentation wasn’t televised. Iced Earth, however, had a pretty solid top 50 debut, and there were a decent amount of others that did as well. Read on, we promise we won’t cut you off.
Notable Debuts:
Iced Earth, Plagues of Babylon (Century Media) D #49, 6,300 sold
The band’s second album with former Into Eternity singer Stu Block is off to a nice start, and the tour should keep it’s name out there. ]
Scorpions, MTV Unplugged (Sony) D #106, 3,175 sold
Now that the Scorpions want to rock you more gently than a hurricane might, they get a pretty solid debut, considering they haven’t been heard on MTV in the States for years.
Throwdown, Intolerance (eOne) D #125, 2,625 sold
There was a decent amount of tolerance for the straight edge hardcore band’s seventh album. This is a better chart position than Deathless.
Ice Nine Kills, The Predator Becomes the Prey (Outerloop) D # 124, 2500 sold
The first release on management company Outerloop’s label has a nice debut.
Indian, From All Purity (Relapse) 800 sold
This is a nice debut for the band’s second Relapse album. Lots of doom fans out there.
Nashville Pussy, Up the Dosage (SPV) 670 sold
So close to 666! Fun fact: the band’s Twitter handle is @bashfulpuppy.
Axel Rudi Pell, Into the Storm (Steamhammer) 410 sold
This is Axel’s 16th(!) solo album.
Pro-Pain, The Final Revolution (SPV/Steamhammer) 330 sold
Somehow, Pro-Pain have put out 14 albums.
Notable Sales:
Avenged Sevenfold, Hail To The King (Warner Bros.) #73, 4,300 sold
While the album takes a bit of a hit (11%) this week, it’s still sold over 400,000.
In This Moment, Blood (Century Media) #78 4,075 sold
There must be blood in the water or something. A 92% increase this week.
Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 2 (Prospect Park) #82, 3,950 sold
In one month, this will probably have crossed 200,000 in sales.
Skillet, Rise (Atlantic), #96, 3,375 sold
It didn’t exactly rise this week, but a modest 13% drop still brings the band to 225,000 sold.
A Day To Remember, Common Courtesy (Self-Released) #100, 1,700 sold
100,000 sold on your own label has got to be like going gold on a label.
Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1 (Prospect Park) #131, 2,500 sold
This has been on the charts for a half a year, and while it still has 150,000 copies before it’s gold, the other albums doing just fine.
Queens of the Stone Age …Like Clockwork (Matador) #141, 2,400 sold
They might not have made it to the end of the Grammys, but just based off one day of sales, it took a 25% jump.
Volbeat, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (Universal/Republic) #148, 2,250 sold
This has been on the charts for 41 weeks, and even if they didn’t win a Grammy, they’ve sold 177,000 records.
Bring Me The Horizon, Sempiternal (Epitaph) #152, 2,150 sold
This is quietly continuing to sell.
Devour the Day, Time & Pressure (Fat Lady) 660 sold
This has sold about 8,500 so far.
Crown The Empire, The Fallout (Rise) 560 sold
This has sold over 50,000. No fallout here.
Deafheaven, Sunbather (Deathwish) 490 sold
In a just world, this would have gotten a Grammy bump after winning for “Best Metal Performance.” Instead, it wasn’t even nominated.
After The Burial, Wolves Within (Sumerian) 370 sold
This has now sold over 10,000 in total.
Gemini Syndrome, Lux (Warner Bros.) 360 sold
This has been on the charts for 20 weeks, and is continuing to sell, with almost 13,000 sold so far. Artist development.
Deicide, In the Minds of Evil (Century Media) 300 sold
This one takes a 12% drop, but is still sellin’.
Thy Art Is Murder, Hate (Nuclear Blast) 295 sold
A 25% increase means shows that the band is still hanging in there.
Butcher Babies, Goliath (Century Media) 260 sold
A nearly 50% drop this week for the band, who have sold about 12,500 so far.
Scorpion Child, Scorpion Child (Nuclear Blast) 250 sold
This one makes a jump back on to the chart, and has sold about 5,400 so far.
